Beyond the Shadows
by MistyMew
Summary: When an Umbreon has an odd vision, he seeks out Ash and Misty to help him quell a pokémon versus human war that he foresaw! But the trio have more in common than imagined, and in the end, it may be things from the past that save the future...
1. A Vision Not So Far Away....

Beyond the Shadows

Disclaimer: I don't own pokémon or anything associated with it. I'm writing this pokémon fiction novel for the purpose of taming my wild imagination and to entertain fellow fans, and the only thing I ever make money off of is when I sell the fancy show chickens that I breed and raise. I do own any characters you don't recognize, though, and if you wish to use them in your own story please e-mail me. 

Author's Notes: This, if I am successful in what I am trying to accomplish, will be an epic fanfic. For so long now I have thought about this plot, mulling over the symbolism intended, and how it all links together, and how exactly I should write it. However, this story does have a quite graphic writing style, and the dark and violent themes that partially make up this plot can be pretty overwhelming at times. Don't say I didn't warn you. And please, encourage me all you want, because I need it, but don't ask me to hurry up or anything. This fanfic drains so much out of me when I'm writing it, that it may be months before another chapter is added. And this fanfiction is dedicated to anyone who's ever learned something from life. I apologize it starts out so slowly, but it shapes up soon. BTW, this fanfic, although it is dark, was not inspired by Ace Sanchez's Pokémon Master in any way, shape, or form, in fact I hadn't even heard of that fic when I figured this plot out. Anyway, I need to stop rambling about nothing before I get outta control, so… have fun!

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Chapter One: A Vision Not So Far Away…

He perceived the thunder long before it was there. 

Looming ruddy-barked cedars effectively buried the jagged skyline; you could hardly tell where the midnight sky began and the shadowed old trees ended. The only distinction between the two that could possibly be made was that the sky emitted a cold ethereal light, which ebbed not from the slim crescent moon hiding in the clear bleak sky, but from the imaginations of any who looked on, the thoroughly black silhouettes of the cedars standing darker than the merely light-absent sky. It was beyond late; the moon hung half-heartedly precisely above the ancient forest, which was still buzzing with quiet nocturnal Pokémon despite the deep, silent hour. 

The chirping of ever-present wood crickets was nothing but a faint droning above the other insignificant sounds of the night, which were all but absent except to those with the sharpest of ears and patience. The shallow autumn air was crisp and pleasantly nipping, much to the dismay of the cold-disliking zubat, who preferred the dusky warmth of sunset to the icy, though light chill of the early fall nights. Many hours ago they had stopped their blind open-mouthed fluttering, which seemed to center around any light they could find, and retreated to hanging upside down in any random tree, preferably one close to a clearing. The night seemed far quieter to the sharp-eared minus their high-pitched screeching. The wooper, though, quite on the contrary were particularly active on nights such as this, and the occasional splashing of slimy feet against leaf litter was a common and unquestioned event, and was taken lightly by any Pokemon unlucky enough to hear it. 

At the edge of the grove of huge cedars, a slight, disorienting slope curved gently downwards, in which an unassuming little valley, brimming with young, bright-needled pine trees, sat, a world away from the airy happenings of the heavy, long-standing forest above. This was a place of renewal, a place where no glaringly large cedars scraped the skyline, a place where the stars peeked hesitantly out of the dark drowning gray of the night sky, unhidden by the dark, ominous tree shadows. This was a place of true meaning. 

If it weren't for the slight gloss his black pelt gave off, he would have been passed off as nothing but a shadow. Occasionally his thickly furred tail would flick over his beady damp nose, and he would shift his body about, as if trying to relieve some imaginary nuisance that plagued his senses. Then again, perhaps it wasn't as imaginary as it seemed….

Behind the translucent curtain of sleep, there was a fleeting shadow dancing about. The gloomy, dim buzz of slight apprehension in the air was causing his nose to itch and burn with just enough power to irritate him and keep a satisfied sleep at bay. Groggily he clawed at his nose with dog-like paws, whimpering slightly and sometimes beginning a thrashing fit in which he would desperately burrow his snout in the many pine needles littering the forest floor. But it was to no relief. Finally, though, sneezing and wielding a sore, bleeding nose, he gave up on sleeping for now. 

He opened his glinting garnet eyes the slightest slit possible, just enough for him to be able to make out a few shapes of blotchy shadow, then squeezed them shut again hastily. He didn't want to be bothered by his instincts right now; he wanted nothing but to sleep…. Yet after a mere few seconds that ticked by with an annoying sluggishness, it became quite apparent that the hot stinging of his nose was **not **going to leave him alone, so he began rubbing it with an unwanted but necessary tenderness on the silken fur on his right front leg, taking careful, though unpleasant note of the coppery stink pervading his nostrils. Yet the annoying itch in the very back of his nose crept up again, and he found himself the victim of yet another harsh, sodden sneeze, this one causing a cloud of red vapor to plume out in front of his face. He flinched at the rapidly dissolving crimson mist produced by his sneeze, and, finally awake enough to respond, reluctantly pulled his somewhat stocky frame to his tingling paws. 

Nausea fogged his brain for a good few seconds, during which his balance was swayed and he stumbled over his large paws, falling with a padded thud back into the dew-beaded dirt. He heaved a dispirited sigh and shook his head warily. What was wrong with him tonight? He winced into the brisk fall air, his breath coming out as a puff of smoky steam, as he realized that his legs, previously asleep, had cramped stubbornly up. Trying to ignore the pain shooting throughout much of his body, he again lifted himself to his feet, this time bracing himself for the wavering dizziness. 

He gave a huff of small victory upon standing, then lifted his head to the muted sky and stiffened his long, sleek ears against the course wind. He inhaled a deep breath, noticing discontentedly that the sharp wind tore at his throat like a dagger, making normal breathing difficult. 

A current of late night wind tugged gently at his gleaming fur and carried a hushed squeal into his range of hearing. He froze, pricking his ears further against the gentle resistance of the dully buzzing air. But as quickly as the sound had wafted into his hearing, it faded back into nothingness. He furrowed his brow in confusion; he didn't believe he had ever heard a sound quite like that before, and then strained his ears distraughtly, filtering out all other distracting noises in a feverish attempt to find that peculiar squeal again. **_What am I doing?_** He wondered with slight alarm at his sudden obsessive behavior over a _squeal_ of all things. There was something deep in his mind, though, buried in his deepest instincts, that told him to keep listening, so he did, a bit anxiously, but he did. If he knew anything well, it was that he should never question instinct, for it was there for a reason.

A deep resounding howl broke the near silence. It echoed in his eardrums, causing him to become dazed despite that he knew for a fact that it was only the mournful bay of Sabersinge, the forest's elderly resident Houndoom. **_What's wrong with me…?_** He thought in fleeting terror as his brow began to drip in nervous sweat and his heart started to plod swift and hard in his broad chest. His body began to quake beneath him. He felt himself drunkenly spinning in hesitant spirals. Something was terribly wrong… never before had he felt pain or fear at hearing the eerie howls…. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, recoiling as a flash of hot pain rippled through his mind and senses, and a blaze of pitch black shrouded his world. 

__

When he opened his eyes again, it was to a far different world than the one he had closed them to. 

Puffy black and red clouds, not at all unlike thunderheads, clogged up the sooty sky, flashing every few minutes with what he presumed to be a meager, whitened thunder. The ground beneath his feet was scalding hot; it was like walking on dying embers. His padded paws blistered painfully in the extremes. The air was choked with horrific smelling smoke that stung his eyes so badly that thin irritated tears were streaming down his face. Hardly could he breathe. 

Unknowing of what else to do, and curious to where exactly he was and how on earth he had gotten there, he squinted into the smoke and began padding laboriously about in a desperate attempt to navigate through this unfamiliar world. 

The first thing he took note of were the few stubby and dry patches of grass littering the crumbling earth. Most of them were either black with soot or still crackling with drowsy flame, which was apparently the cause of the ground's absurd temperature. Next his trained gaze trailed upward, where he could faintly make out some scanty brush surrounding the clearing he was currently inhabiting. The small trees, perhaps malnourished manzinita, were all ablaze with fire so searing it glowed an electric blue in the otherwise dusky brown environment. The obstinate bark of the enduring shrubs popped and cracked, sending brief sparkles of fire into the hazy air above them like vanishing fireflies. 

When he straightened his ears, which had previously been curled timidly at the sides of his head, he could tell that a refreshing gust of cool wind was struggling to make itself felt through the murky heat, but it was so incredibly feeble that the burning sensation of the air was hardly chilled by its presence. The flames encompassing him seemed to magnify in his mind's eye as time dragged wearily by, and he became distantly aware that he was beginning to feel trapped and oppressed to the point of insanity. His crimson eyes, enlightened and dancing in the light of the swimming flames, narrowed as he considered plans of escape. There was no break in the wavering sea of conflagration, and, he realized finally, the angry blaze was indeed rising with the unwanted aid of the channeling air. This ring of fire he was stuck in looked suspiciously like the result of an angry Fire Spin coming from an experienced… Ninetales? He bobbed his head grimly, figuring that it didn't matter who started it; he should just concentrate on getting out before the smoke started playing tricks with his mind. Or was it already…? His vision was starting to reel strangely, so, without considering the dangers first, he raced off ahead of him, eyes sealed shut and braced for whatever impact might appear in his way. 

For a split moment he could feel nothing but the feverish wind fingering his face. So when he suddenly jolted into flames licking madly at his paws and searing his fur, he couldn't help letting a pained yelp escape his desiccated throat. His sleek tail had become a rod of trouncing fire, which caused him to considerably step up his pace. He willed his legs, which were springs of quick, bursting speed, to move him faster, but they were screaming out in agony and he was forced to zigzag through the flames with a frustrating lethargy. 

He was incredibly relieved to dig his paws into normal dirt again, no matter how arid, cracking, and heated it was. He was past his prison of flames and oppressive heat, and that was all that mattered. He coughed out a wheeze of liberation, and dropped his exhausted body into the dirt, finally putting his tail-torch out with a cushioned hiss. He made a courageous effort to ignore the sharp pains in all his scorched lower body, but it was an effort made very much in known vain. Finally giving in to the fact that he hadn't taken one breath during his mad dash, he greedily gulped in vast intakes of slightly clearer air. His ribs ballooned up and down to the rhythm of every gasping breath. 

It was then that a soft murmuring, carried on the dense air, caught his ears and attention. He stopped his gluttonous panting to cock his ears in ready listening, and was rewarded by catching a fragment of the words whispered. 

"Hotspur! He's coming, don't you dare let him get away again! If we lose one more Tyrant Talon will have our heads! -"

At that point the air current pulled the rest of words from his hearing range. The voice was definitely not human, he apprehended immediately, but on the other hand whatever it was apparently spoke fluent English. A pokémon…? The unidentified creature's voice was thick with the lilt of an unfamiliar accent, one that seemed to curl at the end of each word, and this particular phrase he had heard was dripping with stony hatred. He wasn't sure, but the voice seemed possibly female, as the pitch rose gently at the beginning of each word. 

As the wind again streamed in his direction, another voice soon sounded from a little farther away, this one a gruff bark of "Yes'm!"

This voice was distinctly male, and had the same foreign inflection. It also confirmed his theories; the first voice was indeed female. Feeling slightly threatened; he dragged himself into a tangled bush nearby to silently watch the events the two voices spoke of unfold. 

The female voice then gave a low gasp that had clear-cut traces of a growl, and she hissed "Shhh… Here he is!" 

Crunch, crunch, crunch… silence. 

A young man, perhaps around twenty and armed with a large, ominously gleaming black rifle strode hesitantly into the lightly forested area, his beady blue eyes sweeping over everything within his sight range. He seemed full of pent-up anger, like he was searching for someone who was to blame for his own life's misfortune. His mistrust in the world was revealed when an ornery puff of hot wind rattled the tree branches, for he lifted his rifle circumspectly, then lowered it again, his diamond-like eyes hardening at his foolish mistake. 

It was then that the man was left unwary, and a low snarl rumbled from one of the many skeletal bushes splattering the forest. Quickly the dog-like growl was accompanied by a somehow equally unsettling nicker, which came from even closer to where the innocuous pokémon spectator was watching with fascination and slight fear. 

The next few seconds dashed by disturbingly fast. In a blur of dazzling black and orange, two pokémon, a ponyta and a houndour, pounced upon the human visitor. The ponyta, who was pure black instead of the usual sandy brown, reared up and threw her hooves dangerously about, nearly hitting the human's head and instead knocking loudly against his left shoulder with a sickening crack, leaving a large splatter of blood seeping through the man's gray T-shirt. Meanwhile, the houndour, who was grinning maniacally and yapping in a sing-song voice "Gotcha! Gotcha!", was nipping callously at the dazed man's feet and legs, causing the man's previously beige pants to drip deep, streaming red blood from many shallow bite wounds the houndour was causing. 

The man's icy blue eyes wildly darted about as his swift blood loss began to get to him, and he fell unceremoniously to his knees, no strength left to hold himself up or try to fight back. Yet, raising his rifle with hands shaking pathetically hard, he managed to get in one close-range shot that blasted square in-between the Houndour's shoulder blades, and caused the houndour to flinch and stagger back onto his hindquarters, his bloodstained mouth gaping in shock. The profusely bleeding houndour managed to mutter a painfully quavering "Ohhh…" before allowing his head to slump to the ground so he could regain his composure. Ruby froth lined his mouth and bubbled from his nostrils, and dark clotting liquid dribbled from his upper back, where the direct shot had been dealt.

It became apparent to the innocent onlooker in the bushes that the houndour, presumably named 'Hotspur', was mortally wounded, but would probably not die for another few hours. The man, however, was quite another story.

The ponyta's violently glazed eyes flashed in rage at her companion's now wounded status, and her glare fell to the man sitting right under her neck, who was looking up at her face and muttering incoherently for mercy. With an enraged snort she threw herself upon him, her legs a flurry of scarlet fire, and with a stomach-churning snap, the man's skull had been cracked into two shattered pieces. 

Her body was sprayed with the blood of the instantly dead man, and she gave a twisted smile of sadistic victory. "Heh, that was fun." She huffed as her two deadly, red-splashed front hooves hit the dirt. But the moment her sight shifted to her injured friend, who was now just barely propping himself up with his two puppy-like large front paws, her ill smile reversed itself. 

"H-Hotspur… are you okay, buddy?" She asked tentatively, lowering her petite head down to his level. 

Hotspur immediately bared his teeth and choked out emotionally, "Shut up, Flicker! Friendship means nothing in Dusscroon. What was once strong, will have to become stronger… in order to matter against us. F-Flicker…the only thing that can defeat everything, is love. Watch out for those who know what love is… because I sure don't. In Dusscroon, nobody knows what love is…." His fierce expression fell in bitter sorrow and defeat. He knew that this speech might very well be his last. "Love can overpower death, Flicker. If only we knew what love is… we would be immortal. But we don't. We're only familiar… with hate. So… if it ever comes down to it, side with love, 'cause it's gonna win. It always does… and it always has before…." The tough houndour was beginning to fade, and it was obvious in his eyes that what he had said came from the very depths of his dark heart. But it was then that he was thrown out of any self-pity or tenderness that had previously been evident in his tones and words, and he snapped his teeth at his fiery friend. "Just kill me, Flicker, you know the rules in Dusscroon. If it's useless, kill it." He gritted; not one scrap of sympathy making it's way into his voice. 

'Flicker's face became crisscrossed with conflicting emotions, but in the end victory won out and she gave a lackluster smile and made a gesture towards the mangled corpse of the man. "Tyrant Talon will be pleased." She whinnied, her eyes turning a sickly shade of dark yellow. "Goodbye, Hotspur."

Flicker whirled daintily about, her blue flames licking madly at the air, and in one grotesquely beautiful movement, she lifted her back legs and smash-kicked Hotspur in the jaw. There was a disgusting click of bone-on-bone as Hotspur's teeth snapped violently together and he went limply skidding a few feet back. His body stopped crumpled mere inches from the body of the man, and his blankly staring eyes, still wide with alarm, and flaccid vertebrae, which had obviously shattered on brutal impact, suggested he was already dead, but a wet sucking sound coming from his throat proved the assumption wrong. 

Flicker, unable to keep a straight face any longer, burst into frustrated tears when she heard that gasp for precious breath that was clogged by blood. Endeavoring to keep her sobbing under control, she dragged her feet over to the dying Hotspur and reared up, her shining hooves coming down straight on the top of his head. His cranium splintered into many pieces, much in the manner of the man's. 

"Take that!" She clenched heatedly, her voice cracking tearfully a bit. 

She choked on her tears as she gulped in air, her nostrils flaring sensitively. She sniffed, then, in a split instant; her understandable sorrow twisted itself into ridiculously strong anger. Unable to control her fury, again and again she flung her hooves up and thundered down on Hotspur's crushed head, until she was so weary that she collapsed sobbing on his body, her tears mingling with the stream of both Hotspur and the man's blood. 

It was at this point that the observer of the events turned around, his crimson eyes wavering despondently, and began to solemnly stride away from the depressing scene, his ebony fur waving in the hot wind. The rings of off-white fur on his body started to emit a soft, almost candle-like pallid glow that flickered much in the matter of a tiny flame in time to every step he took. He didn't know where he was going, nor did he care, as long as got away from the depressing scene. It brought up painful memories, as nearly anything involving death did. 

A cloud of charcoal smoke hovered in front of him, doubtlessly caused by the many small and dying forest fires that he had observed while watching the dramatic scene between Hotspur, Flicker, and the man. Without hesitation he sauntered into it, almost totally oblivious when it stung his eyes and nose and lightly singed the tips of his now sooty fur with sultry heat. 

The lack of oxygen was getting to him, but he didn't do so much as pant as his vision wobbled in front of him, then diminished slowly into black. The last thing he felt was a scorching feeling, and the sensation of falling….

**Where am I going?**

He awoke with a jolt to find himself stretched out on the pleasurably cool ground in his little valley of pines. 

**_How… how did I get back here?_**

He took a deep breath of revitalizing clear air, unsure of what had just happened, but happy it was over. His throat felt unbearably chalky, and he gave a painful cough to clear it. He was startled and disturbed when a short, whitish cloud of ash drifted to the ground, caused by his cough. 

He swallowed fearfully (and with some difficulty), wondering how much smoke he had inhaled in his little escapade to… wherever. 

**_So… it wasn't only a dream…._**

His mind began to strobe oddly, and he began to feel quite light-headed indeed at that somewhat disconcerting thought, so he stood up to take a few tottery steps forward, then lay down in the bronze pine needles so he could think it over. They prickled at his skin, but due to an excessive numbness that had overcome his body thanks to his many burns, although most were quite mild. 

**_But if it wasn't a dream, then what could it be?_**

…

Could it be…?

…

A… v-vision…?

His eyes widened when he realized that was the only logical explanation. 

**_But what could it mean?_**

"Oh no…" He mouthed, his sentence trailing off thoughtfully as a burst of energy coursed mysteriously through him. He shuddered, the longing to run overcoming his weariness and paining body. 

And he knew, from his wet nose to the very tip of his bristling tail, that something was terribly wrong, and that he _must_ run at all costs. 

And he knew every bit as well that trusting instinct was one of the many keys to life's meaning. 

So, with some exertion, he managed to struggle to his feet and, gulped in a breath of air nervously. This was it. There was something in destiny itself speaking to him, something deeper than even he could pinpoint, despite previous experience with such happenings. 

With only his heart and mind to guide him, he set off into the forest, trotting frivolously at first, but as intuition became stronger, a full-stretch gallop felt necessary, so he did it without question. 

He ran headlong deep into the night, miles upon miles passing him by, without him noticing he had even budged a foot. Branches raked at his skin, ripping and tearing, and fatigue was hampering his legs, but he could not stop running, not if his life depended on it. He felt trickles of blood seeping down his legs and merging with ever-increasing amounts of sweat, but oddly, there was no pain accompanying the wounds. Scarlet eyes set dead ahead, tears began winging out behind him, but they weren't tears of pain. Nor were they tears of sadness, or wind impact, or really anything for that matter. They were just tears.

With every stride he took, more knowledge flowed into his mind, but he could not seem to think on his own at all, much less piece any of it together….

**_The thunder…_**

…Death…

…Is insignificant…

…Two kids…

…The future and the past uniting…

…All hopeful eyes turn to the history…

…Of…himself….

STOP.

He came to a screeching halt, and collapsed right there, immediately lapsing into unconsciousness. He gasped in breath with all of his energy and will left, as again, the world turned dark. 

Yet, just before all his awareness left him, he heard a joyful "Piiika!" sound commencing a few yards away, from behind the jumble of thistle that was right in front of his nose. 

Then he faded into a luckily dreamless sleep, one where he could finally rest his agonizingly throbbing body, eyes, and mind. 

**_Now…it has begun…._**

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Author's Notes: Okay, that was totally just an intro. Oh well, I'll bet you're wondering where Ash and Misty are (AAMRNs just aren't the same without them) but just hold yer ponytas, they'll be here soon. Sorry that was kinda boring, but it'll get better (or at the very least fluffier), I promise. Not as well written as I wanted it to be, but how do you expect me to write with my little brother trying to perform *ahem* 'magic tricks' while I type and also freaking out and getting mad at me because the cable's out for a little while. Hopefully I'll get out the next chapter soon enough. Hey, what more can you expect from a busy 13-year-old girl? Pika pika 'til next time! 


	2. Somber Spirit

Beyond the Shadows

Author's Notes: Hi everyone! Kawaii baby Eevees go out to all who reviewed and/or will review! I apologize for the confusing-ness of the last chapter, but I can assure you it was supposed to be that way! This chapter will (hopefully) clear things up a little. Nah…actually it probably won't. But I do know one thing, it will bring up even more questions! *That's your cue for a groan!* 

I know I've said this before, but I think it should be stressed…. This is not for people who can't handle gore, and dark, angst elements in stories. I don't want any complaints about it anymore because I've warned about it twice now and all this stuff does have a purpose, believe it or not. But be happy; this is just a cute little chapter. Some [very] mild drama, some little sweet stuff, and other odds and ends. Have fuuun!

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Chapter Two: Somber Spirit

Misty gazed in patient rapture at the scintillating stars that freckled the indigo sky, murmuring something mellifluously under caught breath as her teal eyes glistened in an almost aberrant way.

Rhythmic waves lapped serenely against the sandy shore, only inches from her red and yellow sneakers, and gained rolling momentum as the wind picked up vaguely to finger her fiery hair. The supple swishing of the waves whooshing against the sand was the only sound breaking the hush in the feeble moonlight. She stared solemnly out into the frostily glinting lake; her face delicately hinting fascination. 

Her footprints were matching shadows in the palely glittering sands, leading from a field of new grass shoots to where she was at the moment, by the lakeside. She peeked behind her shoulder in the direction she had come from as inconspicuously as she could, sighing and biting her lip in a way that seemed to suggest imminent tears. Her eyes dulled coolly as she was confirmed that all around her was quiet. There was no one behind her, no one in front of her, she was alone. She felt that was the way it needed to be for the moment. 

Although the night was deep, she was as awake as she could be, and perceptible to everything. The breezy nighttime air was tickling her skin, and it smelled faintly of ephemeral rain showers and freshly cut grass. 

However, despite her seeming sorrow, she somehow knew something incredible, something that would change everything, was going to happen tonight. She could feel it in the air. 

She whirled around nimbly, her eyes dancing peculiarly, to survey the starlit pathway to the sleeping bags again. She had been waiting for hours now, and her unwavering patience proved that something was definitely up. 

Yet her anomalous, somber mood was pierced by uncertainty for a fleet moment. 

**__**

How was it she could feel something that was not there? 

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A small yellow figure stirred. 

He uncurled himself leisurely, producing a yawn that appeared quite immense for the little electric rodent he was, and lifted his warm body from his cozy spot on the gray sleeping bag momentarily to shift position. In a sleepy routine check on his surroundings, he opened his sleep-bleared chocolate eyes for a moment and blinked innocently into the night's dimness as he felt himself drifting back off into the enjoyable mystification of sleep. His lengthy ears twitched pleasurably. 

But his contented daze was shattered into a million fragments as his eyes traveled comfortably down from the starry sky down to the red sleeping bag that lay flat a few feet away. 

"Piiika?" He cried softly into the night as he realized that Misty's sleeping bag was empty. 

"Chuuu…." He moaned in disappointment. He was quite reluctant to leave his comfy corner on Ash's sleeping bag and his hazel eyes twinkled unenthusiastically as he crawled into the cold dutifully to inform Ash of Misty's disappearance. 

Pikachu quivered bitterly in disgruntlement as he scampered up the sleeping bag to Ash's head. Ash was snoring softly like always. 

Deep down, Pikachu knew that there was no reason to be concerned, but the shallow, and usually conscious part of him telling him to relay what he knew to Ash shined through and he figured this was definitely something Ash should know. 

Impatient to get back to sleeping, Pikachu muttered one boisterous "Pika pik, pikachuuu!" in Ash's face to absolutely no response, then decided he would have to resort to more serious measures.

He held his jagged tail erect in the cool wind, making a battle pose on Ash's black T-shirt as a warm-up. Eyes glinting mischievously black in the surrounding gloom, he stiffened all four of his paws on the material of Ash's shirt and whispered vengefully, "Kaaa_ chuuu_!"

Crackling white streams of electricity twisted out of his scarlet cheeks, and Pikachu skillfully maneuvered the coiling voltage through his paws and into Ash's peaceful body. 

Ash was a sound sleeper, but not _that_ sound.

He jolted awake, lifting his head, rubbing his eyes sleepily, and blinking into the enclosing shadows. 

"Wha? Whassa matter Pikachu?" Ash mumbled, words slurred by grogginess. 

"Pikapi, Pikachupi pik pika chuuu chu pika, piii cha ka chuuu!" Pikachu chattered frantically, pointing in various directions and attempting quite confusingly to charade that Misty wasn't in her sleeping bag. Luckily Ash understood Pikachu's dialect quite well, and he got the message before Pikachu even started showing off his futile acting skills. 

Ash shrugged, his blurry brown eyes roving from Misty's empty sleeping bag to scanning his surroundings. He yawned flatly, then acknowledged that he had understood what Pikachu had said with a distracted "She isn't here, is she?" 

Then his eyes cleared, along with his mind, apparently. "Wha? Where'd she go, Pikachu?" 

Pikachu cocked his head with a soft "Chuuu…pika…."

Ash scowled in mystified inquiry. "You don't know, either, do you? Well, I guess we should go look for her." He sighed loudly, turning his head to his distraught looking furry companion. "I'll bet she's just fine, but still…."

"Chu." Pikachu nodded in understanding, reacting to Ash's comment with a forced smile. 

Ash sat gradually up, peering around at his surroundings, causing Pikachu to topple off of his chest and back onto the sleeping bag with a padded thud. Pikachu was very tempted to go back to sleep as he felt the silky fabric beneath his paws, but he cared about Misty enough to resist. 

The shadow of the gnarled old oak they were camping under casted swaying dapples of shadows on Ash as he squinted into the dark in an effort to find Misty without getting up. Pikachu sensed Ash's human eyes weren't strong enough to penetrate the murk of night so he scuttled speedily over to Ash's backpack, unzipped it, and began to dig through it deftly. A few short seconds later Pikachu bounced out of the green backpack with an obliging "Pika!" and scampered back over to Ash, plastic red flashlight gripped tightly in pika teeth. 

"Thanks Pikachu." Ash soothingly stroked Pikachu on the head, then took the flashlight from Pikachu's mouth so he could respond.

"Chaaa-aaa!" Pikachu squeaked back happily, flashing a "v for victory" sign. 

"Hmmm…." Ash hummed in a questioning fashion as he flicked the flashlight's switch into the on position. The bright beam spread out in front of him, resting bluntly on springy green shoots of new grass that were sprouting a few feet away. 

Finally able to see, Ash maneuvered the captured ray of light over the valley. Its distinct illumination swept over waving patches of emerald green grass, and finally reflected off the calm water of the nearby lake. 

"There she is." Ash turned to Pikachu. "See? Nothing to worry about, she's always liked the water. I wonder what she's doing there at this hour, though…." 

"Pikaaa…." Pikachu sighed, in both relief and exasperation, letting his ears drop. He rose up on his hind legs as high as he could in lookout, much in the manner of a bipedal rabbit. Sure enough, there was Misty's slim silhouette, black against the starlit waves undulating in front of her. Her trademark side ponytail was obviously put down, as it was missing from her outline. 

Again looking to his poképal for advice, he inquired, "What do you say Pikachu, should we go back to sleep or should we go see what she's doing over there?" 

Pikachu's ears slacked even farther. "Chuuu…." He said unwillingly, turning his polished gaze away from Ash's hopeful eyes in lethargic disinclination. Trying not to feel guilty for abandoning his best friend, he curled back up on the sleeping bag, letting out a drowsy sigh as indication that he was too tuckered out to be curious. 

"Okay, I get it little guy." Ash replied to his tired electric mouse, casually smiling at his buddy's actions. "I'll go alone." Ostensibly curiosity had gotten the best of the kid. 

After tying his shoes hurriedly, he stood up, giving Pikachu a finalized pat on the back and instinctually plunking his beloved hat upon his head. He clicked the flashlight off so his eyes would adjust to the dark, as he figured Misty wouldn't be too pleased to have a flashlight shined in her eyes. Ash knew from years of painful experience that Misty's temper could be downright _dangerous_, even over things that seemed quite insignificant to him.

'_You can never be too careful with that girl_,' he thought, scowling and rubbing the bruise on his head from the last time he had tested her explosive disposition.

Giving Pikachu (who was already conked out belly-up on the end of his sleeping bag) an indistinct wave, Ash trudged out into the dimness. The lake wasn't far away, maybe four hundred yards, but Ash couldn't help but feel he was making some sort of significant journey. He brushed a stray strand of ebony hair out of his eyes with one green-gloved hand as he laughed internally at his own thoughts, and even more so at the fact he felt traces of little butterfrees flapping around in his stomach. He didn't have any reason to be nervous…did he?

As he strolled along the indistinct path, most likely fashioned by nomadic stantler, he crossed his arms, scanning the landscape with bored eyes. The whole place seemed to glimmer in the dusky twilight and the brilliant grass glowed mysteriously, illuminating the ground with a shallow yellowish lighting. During the day, the expansive valley had not seemed particularly interesting, save of course, for the fact Misty was delighted to be near such a beautiful lake. The grass was so bright it was distracting, and the hills were gentle slopes that loped towards the smoothly rolling horizon and optimistic sky, like most fields in this cheery world he lived in. Yet during the gleaming hours of the night, the beauty of the area seemed quite profound.

This fact did not escape Ash's roving eyes and wandering mind. He was normally too much in a hurry to notice such things as the simplistic splendor of the countryside, but as he ambled along, something about the place struck a passive chord deep in him, almost like he had been here before. 

He sucked in a long breath of brisk, refreshing air, then puffed it back out in a somehow captivating plume of steam, and as his eyes met the clear, blotched sky, he halted in his tracks in pure awe. 

As he let out a gasp of harnessed amazement, the most impressive display of sudden dazzling stars spread out before his very eyes, radiantly glittering like fractured crystals in a hidden sun. For a fast second an intense feeling of freedom rushed over his tired body, but as if it were a timid breeze on a humid evening, it soon hurried away. His eyes were yanked from the sky, though, as his ears picked up a supple breath floating in on the crisp air.

"_Ashhh…_." A whisper of inexplicably frigid air flowed against his neck, then cascaded, like a trickling waterfall, down his body to twist around his ankles like a pleased cat. 

"_Ashhh…._" The feeling got colder rapidly, clenching his heart in a sensation of ice. He shivered violently, inexplicably frozen both in feeling and emotion. It was calling his name…. Louder and louder, it cried his name with increasing intensity, not only a polar blast in his ears, but almost in his very soul. 

He felt the prickle of icy shards of fur against his arm, and as he tried to shake it away, shadowy pools of eyes appeared suddenly in front of his face, and he was held captive by the floating, phantom eyes of something…otherworldly. A stream of diffused lilac smoke framed a delicate, almost ocelot-like face, as it opened an unseen mouth to cry out his name again. Its tone seemed almost pleading…mournful…and its voice was frail. The foggy outline of the creature's face, which consisted of channeling lavender haze and its big, alluring eyes remained the only parts of it visible. 

Ash fought the uncanny paralysis that was clutching his body in a grip of steel with all he had, and managed to choke out in a strangled half-scream, "Who are you?!"

The creature's black eyes expanded as it gazed deep into his hazel ones, causing him to quake with fear. A wisp of the suffocating smoke reached out and stroked his cheek coolly, its silky touch making him feel subdued. At the same time, he fought tears as also a strong wave of sorrow overcame him, and he felt a distant empathy with this somber…thing.

The creature's eyes filled with tears of glitzy silver, which dribbled, as if in slow motion, down an invisible cheek. "I'm so sorry…!" It squealed out of the blue, voice wracked with sobs. "I'm s-sooo s-s-sorry!" It sniveled hysterically again as its faint form began to fade into the gray of the night. He felt the cold rush out of him, like water draining from a sink, and he watched as a pale twinkle of lilac bobbed away, and disappeared from view. 

For a drawn-out moment, Ash could only stand there, trembling vehemently but otherwise motionless. 

"Ash!"

Ash broke out of his trance as he heard a familiar voice call his name, and then heard footsteps thudding towards him. Slowly he lifted his eyes from their place on the ground and tried distantly to smile as he saw Misty running towards him, a shy grin tugging at the sides of her mouth.

She stopped at his side, cocking her head to ask, "Ash? Is everything okay? I could hear you yelling something, even from the lake. I've been waiting for you there for hours!" 

Ash narrowed his eyes at her, wondering what the heck she was doing waiting for him at the lake at this hour. He noted quickly that her short hair was indeed down, as he had observed from the distance of the camp and he tried not to stare as he locked eyes with her. His voice tremulous and timorous, he queried diffidently, "Misty…h-have you ever s-seen a ghost?"

"You mean a ghost pokémon…right? Of course I-"

Ash cut her off abruptly with a stumbling correction. "N-no…I mean…like, like a real ghost…."

Misty's eyes took on a slightly concerned look as she stared into his eyes. "No…of course I haven't…why do you ask Ash?" 

He directed his gaze away from her worried one as he mumbled, "Never mind."

"Are…you okay?" Misty inquired, twisting her head to the side in an attempt to regain eye contact with him.

Ash jerked roughly away as hastily as he could, feeling a mix of dread and revulsion as tears began to well uncontrollably in his eyes, and his body resumed shaking relentlessly. 

"Ash? Ash, answer me!" Misty pleaded, her voice becoming more intense and fretful as she moved closer to him, putting a hand on his shoulder apprehensively. She could feel him shuddering, and soon became worried enough to resort to more serious measures. She almost felt bad for doing it, but before she could change her mind, she put her hand beneath his chin and gently lifted his head so he was looking at her. 

She gasped as she realized a few stray tears were seeping down his face, and he suddenly looked very pale. "Ash, you're crying! What's wrong? Please tell me, Ash." She cried, her voice now in that accustomed I'm-worried-about-you-so-you-better-tell-me-what's-wrong-right-now intonation. 

"N-nothing…." Ash muttered dejectedly, tugging away from Misty's lingering touch on his face. "Nothing's wrong…."

Misty crossed her arms, scowling at her sulky friend. "I don't believe that for a second, Ash Ketchum. We've been friends for four years now, and I know you well enough by now that I realize I can't trust you when you say nothing's wrong." 

Ash glanced at her through tear-blurred eyes, declaring uncertainly and under his breath, "I don't know what's wrong! I-I really don't…."

Misty put her hands on her hips in exasperation, but resolved that she should leave him alone, as her demanding an explanation was upsetting him. Just as she decided that, though, Ash shifted his feet and peeped at her timidly, his eyes meek and scared. "Misty?"

"Yeah Ash?"

"If you promise to believe me, I'll tell you what happened…." He gave a shaky sigh.

"I promise, then." Misty smiled at him reassuringly. _After all, how weird could it possibly be?_ She wondered to herself, watching dully as Ash began to scuff his shoes in the dirt divertedly, then glimpse around at his settings anxiously. 

"But first, let's get away from here…." Ash mumbled as he looked around, stepping a little closer to Misty. "I wish I had brought my pokémon…."

"Want to go to the lake?" Misty suggested; trying not become too agitated by how out of character Ash was acting. 

He shrugged. "I guess."

"C'mon then!" She gave him an erratic grin, and gestured in the direction they were facing with a flick of her head. 

Ash indistinctly tried to bring a lax smile to his slacked face, but ended up with not much more than a slight twitching on the sides of his mouth. Misty recognized his attempt, however, and began to walk forward, Ash at her side. 

However, Ash's tension didn't dissolve the slightest bit when he started moving towards the lake. In fact, it increased. Misty kept close watch on her suddenly abnormally edgy and listless companion, and soon her alarm for her friend amplified yet more as she noticed that his flitting eyes were slightly glassy. He looked almost feverish with fear. 

_He looks like he's seen a ghost...and that would make perfect sense…._ She contemplated, while reaching over to squeeze his hand. A sigh of relief sounded inside of her as he resisted her hand, and her pity. That was the Ash she knew and liked. 

As they approached the lake, and the hissing of the waves reached their ears, Ash felt a pang of unrest sound in his stomach, and nausea began to whirl about his mind. A rising swell of panic was just breaking the coast in his heart, and he felt the streaming of the current pull at the little courage he had left, then sweep it away. He balked in the middle of the path, and stared at the lake. Something was terribly amiss there…. 

Misty looked back at Ash oddly, stopping to wait for him. "Come on, Ash!" She called supportively, then crossed her arms in frustration when he did nothing more than shift his still watering eyes to her.

"Ash…nothing's out to get you…it's okay…."

"No…. It's not…I can't go to that lake, Misty…. I just…can't…." 

"Would you feel better if we just went back to the sleeping bags?"

"No."

"Well what do you want to do then?!"

"I want to get out of here, that's what!" Ash's voice was suddenly stronger, but still ridden with fear.

"Well Ash, it's the middle of the night! We can't go out traveling now!"

"Didn't stop you."

Misty glowered at him and gave an annoyed huff, narrowing her eyes.

"What are you doing out here anyway Misty?" Ash asked, the familiar stubborn attitude now dominating his tones. 

Misty's eyes flickered. "I…. Well…to be honest…. I-I felt something too…. I don't know…." Her look of unease soon hardened over however. "Something is going on, I'll give you that," she admitted reluctantly. "But we can't leave now, I mean, what's the worst that could happen? We've got our pokémon to protect us."

"Pikachu's asleep." Ash murmured.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind if we woke him up, and I'll wake up Togetic, too. Will that calm you down?"

"Maybe."

"Togetic!" Misty shouted, "Pikachu! C'mon, wake up!"

Ash and Misty both turned around to focus their eyes on the now somewhat remote sleeping bags, where they watched as Togetic popped out of his pokéball and flapped over swiftly. It took Pikachu a little longer to wake up, but soon he too trotted obediently over to Ash's side. 

Pikachu suppressed a thoroughly grumpy shock, and swiped at his eyes fuzzily as he peered up at Ash, wondering why Ash had allowed Misty to wake him from his deep slumber. Togetic, quite on the other hand, was as cheerful as can be, and chirped merrily as he fluttered recklessly around Misty, demanding a scratch under the chin. Misty more than happily obliged, and was quite pleased with how well Togetic reacted to her calling, even from inside his pokéball.

"Pikaa chu chu pika ka chu?" Why did you wake us up? Pikachu inquired groggily, settling on an unnoticed glare at Ash.

"We think there may be something weird going on, and we wanted some pokémon for protection, okay guys?" Misty requested. The request was obviously aimed at Pikachu, as Togetic was visibly delighted to be at their service, even at the late hour. 

Pikachu's glare, though, suddenly turned soft as he picked up on Ash's vibes of nervousness. He looked up at Misty and answered, his voice now free of any fatigue that was previously present, "Pika…. Pika chuu Pikachupi." Yeah…. That's fine Misty.

"Piii?" Hmmm? Pikachu piped abruptly, thrusting his beady nose into the air and sniffing. "Pika chuuu pi kachu! Chuu chuu pika kaka!" I smell a pokémon! And it's really close! The little pokémon's fur bristled warily.

While normally this would have never failed to spark Ash's interest, he just blinked at Pikachu bluntly and said, "Okay. Any clue what kind, Pikachu?"

Pikachu vigorously nodded his head no, but then quickly added, "Pi pika pikachu cha chuuu kaaa, pika chu." It seems like a larger one, with fur.

"Let's just go to the lake."

Togetic made a smothered gasp that came out more like a whistle. "Toge tic tic toge!" I smell it too!

Ash gave a sarcastic smile. "Great, you guys turn into Growlithes just the moment we aren't looking for pokémon, don't you?"

Togetic giggled. "Toge tic!" Sure do!

Pikachu shrugged and replied more slowly. "Pika chu." Guess so.

"Well Ash, if you don't want to catch it, let's go already."

"No…I…d-don't…." Ash said this slowly, like he was deeply mulling over it, and he suddenly became conscious of what the encounter with the phantom creature had done to him. "It's weird…."

"Maybe…you're tired or something Ash…. Should we go back to the sleeping bags and go to bed or something…?"

Ash shook his head vehemently. The fear of going to the lake was softening and being overlapped by a perplexing desire to go there. It puzzled him how quickly and strangely his emotions kept changing…and how atypically ambivalent his mind was being. 

So they continued their short and really quite pointless journey to the lake, and as they neared it, Misty realized an unnaturally straight line, about 4 feet tall, poking out of the ground on the side of the trail. 

"What's that…?" She asked herself under her breath, veering off to the side and uncovering the object of the pine needles, old leaves, and other such debris that was dangling from it. 

Ash stopped walking quizzically, and Pikachu and Togetic both rushed to Misty's side in curiosity. 

"I-it's a sign!" Misty declared, "And it says….'Welcome to Lake Long Lost'…. Guys…I think this may have been a landmark or something…."

She shifted out of the line of Ash's sight so he could see the sign, too.

It was obviously very old, and was basically just a jagged board nailed crudely to a stake. The once sunny yellow paint was chipped and coiling and turning green with age, but there was no question at all as to what it said.

"Well, this place is definitely deserted now," Ash stated bluntly, "and if it ever was something important, you sure can't tell now. I'm surprised we found this place at all."

Misty, Pikachu, and Togetic all nodded in agreement.

Ash ended the conversation with a dull "Hmmm."

"Toge?" Togetic piped, fluttering ahead of everyone else to the side of the lake. He peered in inquisitively, then began to tremble slightly. He looked up at Pikachu with a look of fear glinting off his dark indigo eyes, and cocked his head. 

"Togetoge? Toge tok tic tic toge togetogetic…?" Pikachu? Why I don't have a reflection…?

Pikachu scrambled over, lowering his nose so it was just above the swaying water. 

"Pipipi…Pika pika pikachu, pi…. Pik pi pikachu pika chu…." Togetic…I don't know, but…. I don't have one either….

"What's wrong guys?" Ash and Misty had just caught up with the two pokémon. 

Pikachu looked solemnly up. "Pika chu pi pika…pika pika chupika pichupika!" This water is weird…it's not reflecting anything!

"Lemme see." Ash leaned over next to the perplexed pokémon, peeping with wide eyes into the crystal clear waters of the stowed-away lake. "Wait a minute you two, I have a reflection…."

But Ash jolted as he realized it was not his own. A black figure lurched out from the swelling shadows that were reflecting dimly off the lake's surface, lifting two rods of slimness from a blob of a head. A pair of claret cylinders snapped open and pooled sinister gloom. 

Ash could hardly suppress his horror. He stumbled back two steps, then allowed his body to drop in the chilly sand.

He turned away from the menacing vision, faltering to his feet. 

"Something scary is _definitely_ going on here."

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Lake Long Lost…. The words boomed in his head and throbbed with memory. Why am I back here? Why am I being brought back to the place I'm still trying to forget? Why…?

His body was still choked with aches, and he figured he must've been out for a minimum amount of time, for he felt hardly better than he had before.

But then again…how could he be expected to act normal when he just found out he was somehow being pursued by his own memories…? When he was being forced by his own mind to run for miles upon miles…to never stop until his mind was again flooded with the all the pain…all the emotion…all the sorrow…. He lay down grumpily, sadly, and with a dispirited plop.

Trying to close his eyes…. Trying to forget…. Trying to remember what he was doing here…. Trying to figure out what his vision could have meant…. And trying to figure out what it had to do with him….

But most of all, he was trying to sleep. It was an attempt made in known vain, but it made him feel better to know he was trying. So he just lay there, listening the people and pokémon behind his shield of tangled thistles. He knew they were there, and he knew to some extent what they were. And he knew the pikachu and togetic knew he was there. And he didn't really care, until the human's voices triggered another twinge of an anguished memory. 

Somewhere, somehow, he had heard these voices before. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Author's Notes: Um…yeah. I didn't get *half* of what I wanted to get done done, but *sigh* oh well. Actually, that'll make it easier to write the next chapter. But don't expect it very soon. J I'm trying my hardest! Did you like the sort of kind of not really Ash and Misty moments? I hope so. ^_^ I apologize for how long it took me to write this! I'm writing so many stories, and with school and all…. My life is crazy. Wow, I packed a lot of paranormal stuff into this chapter, eh? Next chapter you'll understand what's happening, I promise. At least partially. The whole story of what happened will be in Chapter 4. Oh, you have no clue how much I would love it if you reviewed! I would be ecstatic! I'll tell you what, I'll drop you a nice little thank you e-mail if you review and leave your e-mail address. If you want an e-mail. If you don't, just say so in the review. I would just love a review sooo much! Thanks in advance to everyone!


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